Mold for making concrete steps



Sept. 22, 1953 COMO 2,652,614

Filed Oct. 3, 1949 I Sept. 22, 1953 A'. COMO 2,652,614 MOLD FOR MAKINGCONCRETE STEPS FiledOct. s, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Frye/1hr PatentedSept. 22, 1953 "Thisinvention appertains to a :mold f or making concretesteps, and has for its principal object :to

provide one of :a comparatively simple -=and=.i-nexpensiveoonstructionfor:casting portable eonorete steps as a vunitan'd in .amanner that -noi-finishing of theisame isrequired after'theremoval ofthe same from the mold.

Anotherobjeot has to do -,v1ith':tl1e provision of a inoldwhich has theadvantage that it is-lma'de ,up in separablesections-to allow f-or thecomparatively easy separation of the sections for the removal of thecasting iwi-thz-thel'least-possible danger of damaging the same in anyway, and a step unit may beeast with any number soi treads and of anydesired length by .varying the size or the mold accordingly.

With the foregoing and other objects andadvantages of equalimportanee'in-view, the-invention resides in the certainnewlandusefuloombination, eonstruotiomand arrangement ofwparts,

as will be hereinafter more.iullydeseribe'd, set forth in the appendedclaims, andiillustrated in the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an-isometrioview of a preferreolembodiment of the -mold, 'inaccordance with my invention Figure 2 is a rear side elevation of thebottom section;

Figure 3 is-an end-elevation of the'ibase section;

Figure 4 isa fragmentary vertical -and*longitudinal section taken onthe"1ine -4--'4-of-Figure *1, looking in the direotion-ofthe arrows;

Figure -5 is a vertical transverse section --tal :en on the line 5-E ofFigure l, looking-in the direction of the arrows and shewing'materialfilling unit as it appears from theunderside when removed from the mold.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the mold is generallycomprised in a base section A, and 'lsxottom and top sectionsB and C,andthe same maybe constructed-or wood =of meta1, *or *acombina'tion ofthose materials.

"The basesection A-is-comprised in a supporting frame made up lo'f frontand rear parallel footing' strips 1 G and-I 2 and end conneotingmem-bers M in the form of wallsyeach having the forward endportion Mofitsloweretlge horizontally disposed and secured-to an -:end of :the'frontfooting strip :l'ii and its-rear :end portion is upwardly inclinedandsupported on a leg P5, rising from the oomplemental end or the rearfooting strip 12. The'top edge-of :each'of the end walls Hi is eut'awayto provide flower and umaer horizontally disposed portions Ma and :il'b,respectively, and vertically disposed portions Me; "the lower one of thelatter portions having an offset portion 1401, with its"lower endbevelecl, as at Me, while the upperone of those'jhorizontal portions hasalike-onset portion PM, with its "lower and upper endsbevele'd, as at 14g.

ends on horizontal transverse bars 13, which are secured at theirrearwardlydirected ends to intermediate legs l'tfl rising from'the rearfooting strip 12. Each of the-riser face members 22 hasacleat'EA-secured onits inner faee, :the'oleaton the lower member'havingits top edge flush with the 'top surface of the-upper tread top formingmember and its loweredge spaced above the lower tread topformingmemberandbeve'led, as at 24,

while the cleat on the upper :riser 'face member has its topedge-spaeedbelow the like edge of this member with its lower edge spacedabove the upper tread top forming member and both of said edges beveled,as bestshown in Figure 5. These cleats 2,4 are abutted attheir endsagainst the inner faces-of the adjaeentoffset portions Md or 14Associated with :the bottom section B are separable end walls 26, whichare to clamped against the outer sides of the end walls It, of the basesection A, by means of a series of tie rods 58 extending lengthwiseofthe mold through apertures formed in the end walls 2% and M, which reds have :their :outer ends screw to receive fly :nuts fill": thelowermostpair-of the rods also passing through apertures formed in theiforwardly -;di-reated ends f th transverse bars [8 to afford support tothe same and to the lower of the tread members, while another of therods extends beneath the upper of the tread top forming members andstill another in rear of the upper of the riser back members 22, as alsoshown in Figure 5.

The top section C is also of a stepped formation and is comprised inlower and upper tread underside or bottom forming members 32 and riserback face forming members 34, which, when. placed in position relativelyto the bottom sec-- tion 13, has its tread and riser members spaced fromthe corresponding members of the latter- The inner side of the upper oneof the riser mem bers 34 is provided with a cleat 34 which is identicalto the cleat 24, on the inner side of the upper riser member 22, of thebottom section B, and spacedly opposed thereto. Extending along theunder side of the front edge portion of the lower one of the treadmembers 32 is a spacer strip 36 which rests on the top side of the frontedgeportion of the lower one of the tread members. 29, of the bottomsection B, to support the forward side of the top section C, while therear side of the latter section is supported on a pair of spaced tierods 38, which have their rearwardly directed ends screw threadedthrough apertured. bosses 42, provided on the front side of the upper ofthe riser members 34. Spacing collars 4 are carried by the tie rods 38and are interposed between the cleats 24 and 34' on the opposed sides ofthe riser members 22 and 34, to lend uniformity to the thickness of theconcrete to be introduced between the bottom and top sections B and C toform the step unit. The forward ends of the tie: rods 38 are supportedin a bar 44 extending lengthwise of the mold between supporting brackets46, secured on the inner sides of end walls 48, at the opposite ends ofthe top section C, which walls are equally spaced from the sop-- arableend walls 26 and uniformly so with respect to the spacing of the otherparts of the top section relatively to the corresponding parts of thebottom section. Forwardly of the bar 44, the ends of the tie rods 38 areangularly bent in the form of cranks 38', to facilitate the manipulationof the same. Further support is provided for the top section C, by meansof a pair of vertically disposed tie rods 50 which are screw threadeddownwardly through the bar 44, at one side of each of the tie rods 38,and have their lower ends each connected with an angled bracket 52,secured on the upper side of the lower of the tread members 32; each ofthe tie rods 59 being in two parts, below the bar 44, interconnected bya swivel 56 to allow for turning movements of the upper part relativelyto the latter through which it is screw threaded; the upper part havingits free end, above the bar, angularly bent in the form of a hand crank56 to facilitate its manipulation. The forward edges of the lower one ofthe bottom and top tread members 29 and 32, together with the spacerstrip 36, are secured together and to the forward ends of the transversebars I8, by means of a pair of crank screws 54; apertured bosses 56being provided on the upperside of the tread member 32 for the screwthreaded engagement of the crank screw therewith.

The opposed sides of the end walls 26 and 48, of the bottom and topsections B and C, respectively, are provided with identical steppedpanels 26' and 48, which are opposed when the sections are in assembly,and have the bottom and top horizontal edges thereof beveled,substantially as .4 shown in Figures 8 and 9, the bevels of the panels26' being designated 26" and those of the panels 48' designated 48". Theforward vertical edges of these end walls 26 and 48 are oppositelythickened, as at 26a and 48a, respectively, for the spacing apart of thewalls and the panels thereon; the thickened portions being eitherintegrally "formed, or in the form of strips secured thereto. Theforward upper corners of the end walls 26 and 48 are secured together bycrank screws 58, which pass through the abutted spacing portions 26a and48a, to that end.

I 'Rising from each of the tread members 32, of the top section C, arealigned pairs of spaced, forwardly sloping members 6!], substantiallytriangular in form, to the top sloping edges of each pair a handling bar62 is secured, the forward ends of the same projecting beyond the frontside of the mold, to provide hand grips by means of which the topsection C may be loosened from the concrete, after it has set, andlifted therefrom, after the tie rods and crank screws, employed tosecure the top section in place, have been manipulated to free thelatter from the bottom section B. To further aid in loosening the topsection 0 from the concrete, a lever 64 is connected by a link 66 to abracket 68, mounted on one of the projecting ends of the handling bars"62, to function as a pry to such end; a cross bar 1'0 being provided onthe front side of the base section A against which the lever can fulcrumto obtain the requisite leverage.

In use, with the bottom and top sections B and C assembled on the basesection A in the manner as hereinbefore described, a concrete mixture ispoured into the mold through the open top thereof, until it can beleveled off with the top edges of the rear side and end walls of thesections B and C, following which, the concrete is allowed to set. Whena sufficient setting of the concrete is assured, the end walls 26 and 48will be removed upon the removal of the fly nuts 38 from the tie rods30, the withdrawal of the tie rods 38 from the bosses 40, and theseparation of the tie rods 44 from the brackets 52; the end walls 26being withdrawn from the ends of the tie rods 30 and the end walls 48,together with the bar 44 and its supporting brackets 46, withdrawn in aforward direction, upon the removal of the crank screws 58. With theremoval of the end walls 26 and 48, and of the crank screws 54 from thebosses 56, the top section C will be loosened by a manipulation of thehand lever 34 and lifted from the concrete and from within the bottomsection B; the bevels provided on the several cleats and panels allowingfor the easy re moval of the top section C, without damage to the stepunit, which can now be removed from the bottom section of the mold.

As shown in Figure 10, the step unit, consisting of upper and lowertreads (1, upper and lower risers 1), side walls 0, and flanged footingd, is cast upside down, in order to properly form the flanged footing dand, at the same time, allow for the aforesaid easy removal of the unitfrom the mold, without damage to the unit. Thus, when the step unit isput to use, it is inverted from the position illustrated and rests uponthe flanged footing d, which extends along the bottom of the lower ofthe riser b and along the bottom of the side walls 0. Also, the use ofthe bevels on the panels, provides for the forming of the projeoting endportions a, of the treads a.

Having thus fully described a preferred embodiment of my invention, itis to be understood that the words that I have used are words ofdescription rather than of limitation and that changes within thepurview of the appended claims may be made, without departing from thetrue scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. A mold for making a concrete step unit. comprising a base sectionhaving end walls of a stepped formation, a stepped bottom section havingthe ends of its tread forming portions removably supported on thehorizontal edges of the step formations of said end walls, other endwalls for said stepped bottom section removably secured against theouter sides of the end walls of said base section and the ends of saidtread forming portions, a top section removably supported in overlyingrelation with respect to said stepped bottom section and spacedtherefrom, and still other end walls for said top section and removablysupported thereon in spaced relation with respect to said other endwalls.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, with the said bottom and topsections comprised in complemental tread and riser members disposed inuniformly spaced relation and the said end walls of said sectionslikewise spaced from each other, and cleats on the opposed sides of theupper of said riser members and of said end walls and having the topedges of the same similarly beveled to form projecting edge portions atthe ends of said tread forming portions and a flanged footing about thebottom side of an inverted finished step unit.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, with tie rods extendinglengthwise of the mold for securing the end walls of said bottom sectionin place, certain of said tie rods underlying the tread members of saidbottom section to lend support thereto, and other Vertically andtransversely disposed tie rods for securing said top section in itsspaced relation with respect to said bottom section.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1, with spaced transverse barscarried by said base section and extending beneath said bottom sectionintermediate its ends and in supporting contact with the bottom side ofthe lower of the tread portions of the latter section, tie rodsextending lengthwise of the mold for securing the end walls of saidbottom section in place, certain of said tie rods underlying the lowerof the tread portions of said bottom section and engaged with saidtransverse bars, and other means for adjustably securing said topsection in its spaced relation with respect to said bottom section.

his ALMA COMO.

mark

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,153,462 Stubblefield Sept. 14, 1915 1,360,890 Cooper Nov.30, 1920 1,497,058 Barriball June 10, 1924 1,574,636 Suiter Feb. 23,1926 2,281,698 Kogl May 5, 1942 2,353,676 Kogl July 18, 1944 2,389,397Zimmerman Nov. 20, 1945

